Bike commuting on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge

The new span was a massive, regional undertaking, intended to speed vehicle travel on the Capital Beltway, and the path planned for pedestrians and cyclists was a tiny piece of the project when it was sketched out more than a decade ago.

At the time, the boom in bike commuting was years away. But as thousands of people across the region prepare for Bike to Work Day on Friday, the planners are looking very smart.

Prince George’s officials said use of the 3.5-mile Wilson Bridge trail has increased dramatically since it opened in 2009. In March, the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission recorded 26,827 crossings, up from 13,998 in March 2012. (In both cases, a trip back and forth was counted as two crossings.)

“The more the region interconnects these various bike trails and bike lanes, it just makes biking a more attractive option, not only for commuting but also for other activities,” said Robert Griffiths, a transportation specialist at the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.

Biking as a way to commute has surged in the Washington area, particularly in the District, which is considered one of the country’s leading cities for bike commuting.